This year’s Waitangi Day commemorations attracted a record-breaking 60,000 people.
From 1952, the Governor-General began attending Waitangi Day celebrations annually.
Alwyn Poole (Innovative Education Consultants) has worked in education since 1991, co-founded three schools, and researches education outcomes in New Zealand.
OPINION
From 2016 until the end of 2021, I had the very great privilege of living in the Bay of Islands. It is hard to fullydescribe the beauty of the area.
An island is a piece of detached land that remains above the water when the tide is high. There are 144 islands in the Bay of Islands. In the sea surrounding those islands I have caught fish, been spooked by sharks, made friends with a local stingray, observed dolphins on many occasions and studied the local seal colony.
The beaches of Russell and the islands are among New Zealand’s best. The bird life; with ample kiwi, weka, kereru and all manner of sea birds keeps you entertained. There is even masses of glow worms along the creeks that appear to turn the sky upside down every night.
There are all sorts of life treats in the area. People live on their boats off Russell, Paihia and Opua. Sailing and being on boats is second nature. It is pretty much never cold in the “winterless north”. Locals often work two or three jobs in tourism roles. Lots of things are shared, from fish to everybody else’s business.
The area is heavily reliant on tourism but sometimes feels a little reluctant on that front as people love their tranquility also. The area took one of the biggest Covid response hits by being so dependent on tourism and being pseudo locked down whenever Auckland was.
Eating in the area is fantastic – although it is good to understand before venturing out that the speed of service matches the speed of life in the area. The Duke of Marlborough sets the gold standard for dining and wedding experiences but many others also do it well.
The Island Getaway and Explore trips to the “Hole-in-the Rock” are genuinely iconic but there is so much else to see and do when out on the water. The stop at Urupukapuka stuns with the walks, swimming and the playful hand-fed snapper amazes all comers.
For people travelling from the Big Smoke and other places/nations the crystal-clear nature of the water seems other worldly. The biggest dolphin display I saw in recent footage of was approximately 150 of the magnificent mammals performing through nothing other than the joy of being alive in this beautiful place.
Motukokako Island, also known as Piercy Island or Hole in the Rock.
All of these experiences are wonderful and should be highly sought-after by New Zealanders and overseas tourists.
However, the real driver to bring our young people to the area is the foundational history of our nation as exemplified by the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
To my shame I was nearly 40 years old when I first visited the Treaty Grounds. I have since returned many times and led numerous school groups there.
The whole place is awesome – in the true sense of the word. Te Whare Rūnanga, The Treaty House, Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi, Te Rau Aroha Museum of the Price of Citizenship, Flagstaff, the Waka. Add to those features the sheer beauty of the site and the wonderful views across the bay and out towards those 144 islands.
While the features are remarkable the impact of the Treaty Grounds is much greater than the aesthetics.
I have twice braved a 4am start in Russell to catch the ferry to the Treaty Grounds on Waitangi Day for the dawn service in the whare. While we, correctly, worry about division in our nation the time prior to the service sees remarkable, warm, greetings between political and social opponents.
The service draws in a genuine broad church of eminent people – and many viewers also outside (like me) on the bleachers watching and hearing through big screens. And for a few hours afterwards the serenity remains and, in an ideal Kiwi way, we are all equals.
The Treaty Grounds enables deep learning and a fountain of knowledge on the foundations of our nation; from the arrival of Maori, to Abel Tasman clashing in Golden Bay, to Cook’s three visits, to the tribal wars and early clashes between cultures, to the traders that followed and onto the first missionaries and James Busby.
You can learn so much about what happened in the 1830s and 1840s; the flag and Declaration of Independence by the United Tribes, the Treaty of Waitangi and the signatories. You learn detail of many of the clashes and developments that followed. You learn of the names of the people of the time and their deeds for good and bad. You can also find many of their gravesites in the nearby towns which is a great anchor to reality.
It is the ideal place for any young New Zealander to get as close to first principle learning as possible.
With guided tours and the patience to read, question and listen they can build the beginnings of a knowledge to serve them throughout their lives to understand and then contribute to important discussions and actions.
This makes the Treaty Grounds the pivotal geographic place to visit for a complete education. It is a place that rips away misunderstanding and bias while leaving plenty of room for passion and developing views.
Many of our adults (and, dare I say, teachers) who have not been there have a view of Waitangi as a place of protest and phallic objects being thrown at parliamentarians.
Learning of the rest will alter many opinions. Maybe all citizenship ceremonies should be done there also as new Kiwis need to have an appreciation of our past. The recent arrivals I have taken to the Treaty Grounds are often deeply moved by all aspects and especially the museums.
Our nation is still very young on a world history scale. That there is so much learning in one place is remarkable and the more of our population, young, adult and elderly, that experience it – the better we will be as a society.
